Folding square.



W. D. ARMSTRONG.

FOLDING SQUARE,

-.A \PPLlCATI0N FILED FEB. 12. I916.

Patented Sept. 12, 1916.

wmmtoz v WDHRMSTRONG WALTER DOANE ARMSTRONG, or GATE, WASHINGTON.

mmense.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it; known that I, i/VALTER D. Aimstrnolvda citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Gate, in the county of Thurston and State ofiVashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFolding Squares, of whichthe following is a specification, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to animproved foldingsquare and has for itsprimary object to provide a very simply constructed and serviceableimplement of this character for use by carpenters and other mechanics inascertaining the rise or degree of inclination of rafters and the like,as well as the lineal measurement of the same, laying off stair steps,and for various other similar op erations.

It another and more particular object of the invention to provide afolding square embodying a frame, a square. blade pivotally mounte .l.inthe frame and having a degree scale. on its pivoted end whereby theblade will normally tend to gravitate to a horizon tal position when'the frame is ,t in place upon the work," and a tongue, pivotallymounted. in. the scale and adapted to fold upon the blade, said'bladeand. tongue. being foldable together into the frau'ie.

It is a further general ol ect of the. invention to produce a device ofthe above char- ,acter which may be inexpensively manufactured, ,isstrong and du able in construction and highly serviceable and convenientin practical use.

With the above and other .objects'in view, my invention. consists in thenovel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts tobe hereinafter more fully described, claimed and illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, in which,

Figure l is aside elevation of .my 'improved folding square, showingthe-tongue and, blade in one of theirset positionswith respect to thesquare frame; Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the device setIIIIJOSllZlOIl for use as a tri-square, a portion of theframe beingbroken away: Fig. 1) is a vertical section talten on the line 3-43 ofFig. 2; and Fig. i is a perspective view showing the square folded orclosed. '4

' lh l erring in detail to the drawing, 5 designates the frame of asquare in which the .u'iovahle parts are mounted. This frame 1Specification of Letters Patent.

FOLDING SQUARE.

Patented Sept. 12, 1916.

Application men February 12, 1916. serial No. 78,008.

consists of a single rectangular metal bar recessed or cut away toprovide a substantially semicircular, transversely extending chamber 6in one end thereof and a relatively narrow longitudinal channel 7'communicating with one side of this chamber and. terminating adjacent tothe opposite end of the frame bar. The chamber 6 and the channel 7 openupon one of the longitudinal edges of the frame, and into the same thefoldable parts of the square are adapted to be closed. I

8 designates the blade of the square which is relatively narrow and isintegrally formed at one end with the substantially semi-circular scaleplate 9 and projects laterally from said plate. One or both sides of thescale plate are marked otf-in' any suitable mannerinto a multiplicity ofblocks 10 which are adapted to contain suitable indicia, and at theouter edge of the scale plate the same is graduated through- 90 of itscircumferential extent. as shown at 11, the. gruduations being'properlyspaced and suitably marked. Indicating characters are also stan'qiedalong the remaining 90 of the edge of the scale. plate, as at 12: and inthe illustrated embodiment, these characters indicate the rise of roofrafters of various lengths when pitched to dilferent degrees. Thevarious lengths of rafters are stamped in the blocks ll) on the face ofthe scale plate and are visible through radially disposed slots 13provided in one of the side walls of the compartment. 6 in the squareframe. The degrees 11 ,on the edge of the scale plate are read through asight opening 14: and the indicating numerals 12 'on the edge of saidplate through a second opening 15 provided in the Wall of the chamber 6.The scale plate Sis mounted to pivot or turn upon a pin 16 whichis fixedat one of its ends in one wall of the cham- .in which one end of themetal tongue 19 is, m

mountedto turn upon a pivot pin 20 traversing said slot and fixed in theextension 17 of the scale plate. The pivoted end of the and thus retainsaid plate and the square blade in their set positions.

One wall of the longitudinally extending channel 7 in the frame 5 isprovided with an opening 24 at the end of the frame 6 so that theextremity of the blade 8 may be seen when the blade is disposed withinthe channel 7 and thus enable the user to ascertain 'when said blade isin its proper horizontal position, for which purpose the end edge of theblade is provided with a suitable index mark. At this end of the frame5, a thumb screw 25 is threaded in one of the walls of the channel 7 andis adapted. to be adjusted .into binding engagement with the tongue 19of the square in order to retain the parts in their closed or foldedpositions with respect to the frame.

In the drawing, I have shown numerals stamped on one wall of the frame 5along one edge of each of the slots 13 thereof and in line with therespective semi-circular sefies .of blocks 10 on the face of the scaleplate. These numerals are indicative of the run of rafters in variouslengths and the numerals in the blocks 10 are read in accordance withthe run of the particular rafter, said numerals indicating the requisitelineal measurement of the rafter for the degree shown through theopening 14 and having a rise from the horizontal, as indicated ontheedge; of the scale plate'through the opening l5.mVVhile I have thusillustrated in the drawing, the parts of the device provided with: the.(indicating characters to be employed for a particular purpose, it isobvious that the scale plate and the walls of the frame, 5 may .beotherwise suitably marked in accordance with the various op erations,for which such an implement can be advantageously employed- Asthepresentzinvention resides in the mounting and relative arrangementofthe movable parts so that they can be compactly folded, itwould'besuperfluous, for purposes of this specification, to elaboratefurther .upon the many and varied uses of the invention,

In the actual use of my. invention, I have found that the mounting. andarrangement ofthe several partsJas' described, affordsa device which maybe easily and quickly handled and arranged in position upon the materialwhereby the degree of bevel or inclination or the lineal measurement ofparts to be cut may be quickly ascertained. The construction of theframe or body of the device in which the movable elements are mountedmay, of course, be considerably varied from that disclosed in thedrawing. The device is also susceptible of a great many othermodifications in the form,- proportion and arrangement of the elementsdescribed and it will, therefore, be understood that I reserve the privlege of adopting all such legitimatechanges as may be fairly embodiedwithin the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim is l. In a folding square, a frame, a blade having asubstantially semi-circular scale plate on one end thereof pivotallymounted 1n the frame and provided with a projection on one side of itspivot affording a weight to cause the gravity movement of the scaleplate when the frame is disposed at an inclination, and a tongue mountedin said scale plate for movement to a position at .right angles to saidblade and adapted to be folded with the blade into said frame.

2. In a folding square, a frame, a blade having a substantiallysemi-circular scale plate on one end thereof pivotally mounted in theframe and provided with a projection on one side of its pivot affordinga weight to cause the gravity movement of the scale plate when theframe'is disposed at an inclination, a tongue pivotally mounted in saidscale plate for movement to a position at right angles to said blade andadapted to be folded with the blade into said frame, and a set screwmounted in the frame for binding engagement upon said tongue to retainthe same and the blade in their folded positions.

3. In a folding square, a frame, a blade having a substantiallysemi-circular scale plate on one end thereof pivotally mounted in theframe and provided with a projection on one side of its pivot affordinga weight to cause the gravity movement of the scale plate when the frameis disposed at an in- I clination, a tongue pivotally mountedin thescale plate for movement to a position at right angles to said blade andprovided with means for engagement, with the pivot of said plate tolimit the movement of the tongue in one direction to a position at rightangles with respect to the blade, said tongue and blade being foldableinto the frame, and means mounted in the frame to retain the parts intheir folded positions. a

4. In a folding square, a longitudinally recessed frame bar, a bladeprovided with a scale plate ,on one end pivotally mounted in the recessof the frame, said scale plate having a pro]ection on one side of itspivot whereby the plate is caused to turn by gravniee eee 53 ity, saidprojection having a recess in one edge, a tongue pivotally mounted insaid, recess for folding movement upon the blade, said tongue beingprovided with a notch to receive the pivot and the scale plate WliQIQ-by movement of the tongue in one direction is limited to a position atright angles to the blade, said tongue and blade being foldable togetherinto the recess of the frame bar,

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

WALTER- DOANE ARZQISTRON(..

Vitnesses M. SPINNER, FLORENCE M. SPINNER.

